


No Ordinary Child

by kkace24



Category: Star Wars Episode VII: The Force Awakens (2015)
Genre: Fluff and Smut, Multi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-01-04
Updated: 2017-01-21
Packaged: 2018-09-14 19:20:35
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 19,857
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/9199136
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kkace24/pseuds/kkace24
Summary: A year after Force Awakens. Rey has been training with Luke Skywalker and Kylo Ren has disappeared. Everything is fine until they learn that Kylo Ren is to be killed. Rey has no choice but to save him. What could it lead to? Together they have the potential to save the entire galaxy... or destroy it...





	1. Ch. 1

There's a man screaming. Or is it a man? Rey doesn't know. The hallway she walks down is long and dark, only the light of her blue saber illuminating the path ahead of her. The screams get louder and louder as she approaches the door at the end of the hall. It's tall and black, with thousands of different bars locking it shut. She can hear the screaming just behind the door.

"It's not enough," says a voice behind her.

Rey jumps back, retracting her saber and pushing herself flat against the wall. A man in black robes and a man in a First Order uniform stride quickly toward the door.

"Snoke wants his point made clear," the man in the First Order uniform states stiffly.

They don't see her in the corner. They hold a small light that illuminates their faces. The man in the black robe is old, his wrinkles sagging on his face. The other man is younger and has bright red hair sticking out from under the small cap.

"General, he's very weak. I don't know how much more he can handle," the old man says quietly.

"If you have issues with the way she's handling this than I suggest you take it up with her," the General threatens, his ice blue eyes sharp and menacing.

The old man bows his head. "Erecto Manifiso."

Suddenly, the locks begin to pull back. Each one clicks loudly, echoing down the hallway. There's a final pop, and the door opens, allowing a stream of white light to enter the hall. The two men step in. Rey follows silently.

And then she sees him. A man sitting crouched on the floor. Chains connected to his wrists, pulling his arms out and above him. He wears only a tattered pair of shorts and his bare upper body is covered in streaks of blood. His head hangs down, the messy black curls of his hair obscuring his face.

Her breath catches when he lifts his face, his eyes meeting hers. It was Kylo Ren.

"Rey," he grunts. But it's not angry like she remembered. It was pleading. "You shouldn't be here."

She looks frantically around the room. The two men have disappeared, leaving her and Kylo alone. A sudden cold feeling creeps onto her skin. Everything around her begins to ice over as the temperature drops. Kylo's face breaks into terror.

"Rey, you have to leave!" he gasps at her, his breath coming out in plumes of white steam.

She feels afraid. She turns around to run back out the door but it's been closed. When she turns around again, Kylo is gone. The room begins to crumble. Rey sees a small hole in the corner of the room. An escape! She sprints toward it, sliding through into the darkness.

And suddenly she's awake. Rey sits up sharply, the cool night air of the island biting at her bare skin.

"Another nightmare?" Luke asks.

He sits across from the small fire they made. It was still night outside so Rey knew she hadn't been asleep for that long.

"Yes," she whispers, pulling her jacket around her shoulders to keep warm.

Luke smiles, but it's a solemn smile. "Was it about Kylo Ren?"

Rey nods.

"Was he trying to kill you again?"

Rey doesn't know why she lies. Maybe because she's afraid of what Master Skywalker would say to her. "Yes."

Rey had been training with Luke for a little over a year now. He was a brilliant Master. He had trained her excellently in combat tactics and using the force to move objects. He had also taught her how to navigate her dreams, and find information from them. Every once and a while Master Yoda would appear or Master Obi-Wan and give her advice when it came to understanding the ways of the force.

She was a natural, they told her. Anything she was taught she picked up in a few days. Obi-Wan had even joked with her that soon she would surpass Luke in the use of the force and would need a new, more experienced teacher.

Of course all of these things mattered little in her mind. The only reason she had agreed to come train was because she wanted to kill Kylo Ren. After what he had done to Han Solo, and then to Finn, she couldn't run back to Jakku. It was obvious she was talented in the force. But she would only use it to destroy the one thing that could destroy her happiness. Kylo Ren.

"That's not a way in which you should see the world," Luke had warned her when she told him this. "Getting revenge on Kylo Ren would lead you down the path of the dark side."

Rey couldn't deny it. She knew what Luke said was true. With her force training she did struggle with fighting the dark side. It seemed to creep up on her when she was least expecting it.

"I wanted to kill Darth Vader because of what he had done to my friends and family. But in the end, I realized a truth I would have never seen if I had let the dark side lead my decisions. There was still good in him. I would not have seen that."

Rey could hardly think there was any good in Kylo Ren. He was a murderer, a thief. His mind was so twisted by the dark side he killed his own father. There was no hope for Kylo Ren.

But the dream. Rey had nightmares about Ren coming to kill her almost every night. Some nights she could hardly sleep because of it. This worried Luke. Especially since the dream was the same every night. He told her that dreams like that usually aren't dreams, they're visions of the future.

When her dreams turned from Kylo Ren killing her to her finding him half-dead, she became extremely worried. She hadn't told Luke of the change. After all, she'd only had that dream six times. And if it was real, then she was glad. He deserved every scream she heard.

"Focus on the pull of the force," Luke instructs as she closes her eyes, her lightsaber ready to deflect the objects that fly towards her.

She can feel the objects coming towards her and she strikes them away with ease. The objects get bigger and she feels herself going deeper into the force.

"Very good Rey," Luke encourages.

_Rey! Help me!_

A voice from the darkness cries out to her. She frowns, feeling her focus shift from the objects to the direction of the voice.

"Rey?"

_Please! You're the only one who can hear me!_

She follows the voice in the darkness. Rey feels an object strike her on the shoulder but she ignores it as she ventures closer to the voice.

_Rey! Please! Please come help me!_

Kylo lays on the ground at her feet. He's covered in blood. She gasps at the sight, jumping back instinctively. He looks up at her, his eyes wild and desperate.

_Find me. Save me!_

He's begging her. She's going to reach down and grab him but something pulls on his legs and begins to drag him away. He starts screaming as he slides across the black.

_Rey! REY!_

She snaps out of her trance and sees Luke, who is staring quizzically at her. She looks over at her shoulder where the object had hit her. There's a small cut.

"What did you see Rey?" Luke asks, his eyebrows knit together in concern.

Rey looks at him for a long time, trying to slow her heartrate.

"It was Kylo," she says after a moment. "I think they're going to kill him."

Worry fills Luke's features. He stares at her for a long time, then his eyebrows raise as if he's just figured something out.

"How long has he been contacting you?" he asks, tilting his head down slightly to look up at her with scolding eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"Kylo Ren has been reaching out to you in the force, has he not?"

Rey swallows. "My dreams had changed. I didn't know he was forcing me to see that."

Luke steps a step toward her, putting a hand on her shoulder. "Tell me everything, child. Everything!"

She frantically tells him about the dream. She tells him about the two men and about Kylo telling her to leave.

"I just saw him now. He was begging me to find him… to help him. He was covered in blood, like the dream. I think he was trying to escape," she stumbles out.

Luke grimaces, holding his chest.

"What does it mean?" she asks quietly. "Is it a trap?"

"I don't know," he whispers. "There has been no word of him since Starkiller. It could be."

"Should we wait?"

Luke shakes his head. "If we wait and it's real… then he will die."

"That isn't such a bad thing, right?"

"Kylo Ren is the only person who can help us defeat the First Order. We need him alive."

Luke suddenly turns on his heel and walks quickly back to the small hut he had built.

"We must leave," Luke shouts back at her. "Gather your things. I'm radioing the base now."

"Why?" Rey runs after him. "We aren't going after him are we?"

Luke stops and turns back to face her. His eyes are wild and full of fear.

"We have to. We have to find him."

"But Master!" she exclaims.

He cuts her off with a raise of his hand. "You will speak no more of it."

She stares at him with anger and disbelief. "You can't be serious."

"We are going to save Kylo Ren."


	2. Ch. 2

The Milenium Falcon lands at the bottom of the island where Luke and Rey wait. She didn't want to speak with him. She was furious that they were going to save her enemy. But there was nothing she could do. Technically she was still Luke's apprentice, so she had to obey everything he told her.

Chewie steps off with a roar of happiness. She smiles and gives him a hug. He ruffles the top of her hair.

"It's good to see you too, Chewie," she laughs.

She climbs on board, smiling at the memories she had with Finn here. She finds her small cot and throws her bag on top.

"So what's our destination?" She asks as she makes her way to the cockpit. Luke sits in the pilot's chair beside Chewie. "Assuming you know where they're keeping him."

Luke smiles. "We are going to see an old friend. With enough persuasion I think we will be able to access the information we need to find him."

Chewie roars.

"I know. I don't like it either," Rey mumbles.

They fly off the planet and into hyperspace. Chewie and Rey play Dejarik. Rey isn't very good, but she likes the company. She talks with Chewie about how his life has been without Han Solo. He's sad. A lot. But he has friends that keep him company. And General Organa has kept him extremely busy with all of the needed x-wing repairs for the Resistance fighters.

"Luke thinks he will help us," Rey tells Chewie when he asks why they were going after Han's son.

He roars his response.

Rey shrugs. "I don't really care. I'd just be upset I wouldn't get to kill him myself."

Chewie shrieks.

"I know you practically raised him! But Ben Solo is gone. He was consumed by Kylo Ren. That man killed Han Solo. He deserves the same fate."

Chewie mutters defeated.

She frowns. "I'm sorry. How's Finn?"

This seems to cheer him up. He tells her about how Finn had recovered swiftly and how he had begun training the new recruits how to fight. He also mentioned how him and Poe had grown suspiciously close.

"Really? Poe and Finn?" Rey jokes.

He nods and roars.

She laughs. "Well good for them. I'm glad they've found each other."

"Chewie!" Luke calls as he sticks his head in the doorway. "We're getting ready to land."

Rey follows them to the cockpit. They shift out of hyperspeed and approach a large and colorful planet.

"Welcome to Felucia," Luke chimes as they begin to enter the atmosphere.

"I've heard of this place," Rey murmurs.

They break through the clouds and the world below them is filled with color. Rey had never seen or even dreamed of a place like this. She couldn't even begin to fathom the variety of colors and plant life she could see.

"Felucia was once a battle ground during the Clone Wars. During the reign of the Empire they kept a large garrison here. The First Order took over but it was destroyed several years later. Now it's just abandoned," Luke says.

Rey can see pieces of a building far off in the distance as they land.

"Is that where your friend is?" Rey asks.

Luke shakes his head. "No. We have to travel deep into the forest. Get your heavy gear on. This planet is constantly trying to kill you."

They land in a small clearing. Rey readies herself with thick utility clothes, her sabre, and her staff. Luke had tried to talk her out of bringing her staff but she refused to let it go. It had protected her, her whole life. She knew how to use it which she deemed most important.

She pulls on a helmet and waits as Chewie lowers the boarding ramp. The heat and humidity hit her like a wave. It's suffocatingly hot and she can already feel herself begin to sweat.

"Beautiful planet, isn't it?" Luke sighs as he walks casually down the ramp. Rey and Chewie follow.

They make their way silently through the large, colorful planets. Even now, being distracted by everything around her, she could feel him. Kylo. The unsteadiness of his breath. The flicks of pain he sends her every once and a while. She tries so hard to block their connection.

_Rey._

"Wait," Rey calls out to Luke between breaths, sweat dripping down her face.

She touches her head, feeling the pain of their connection. The vision comes to her almost instantly. Kylo's body lies mangled on a cool rock floor. Rey kneels beside him, hesitant to touch him. He reaches out suddenly and grabs her wrist, making her gasp. His head rises and his eyes are wide and afraid.

 _If they kill me, you won't last. You can't beat them without me_.

The vision is gone in an instant, leaving Rey still standing with Luke and Chewie in the colorful forest.

"What did you see this time?" Luke asks.

Rey swallows. "He told me if he died, then I would die too."

Luke nods. "Let's keep going."

They begin walking again, the bugs and humidity really beginning to set in thick. Rey swats at the bugs in irritation. She's about to complain to Luke about how much longer when something jumps in front of her, making her halt to a stop.

It's a person, dressed in colorful camouflage and a mask over their face. It points a gun right at her face.

Chewie roars and raises his gun to shoot but Luke raises his hand. "No Chewie."

"Don't move," came the voice behind the mask.

Rey is frozen in spot, mentally going through each move she could do to take this person out. She's about to go for her sabre on her belt when the person lowers the gun and begins to crouch. Rey watches as they grab a nearby rock and move toward her foot. Rey suddenly sees what she's stepping on. It's a trap of some sorts. If she moved her foot, it would go off. The person put a hand on her foot and in a swift movement exchanges her foot with the rock without releasing the trap.

The person stands and before they can speak Rey pulls out her saber and ignites it, placing it right by the person's head.

Luke laughs. "There's no need for that Rey."

There's a clicking noise by Rey's head and she looks over to see a gun pointed straight at her. Another person with a mask stands tall behind it.

The person in front of her pulls off the mask. It's a woman. Her face is pretty, her cheekbones jut out sharply, accenting her lips and nose. Her eyes are an icy grey, piercing through Rey's like shards of glass. But there's humor in them. Her hair is pulled back in a tight ponytail. A small section of hair above each of her ears has been shaved off.

"So you're the one who fucked up Kylo Ren's face?" she chimes, her voice sharp.

Rey hesitates before lowering the saber and retracting the blade. The gun doesn't move from her head.

"Yes," she responds firmly.

The girl smiles. "I think we'll get along just fine."

She turns to the other masked person and nods. The gun lowers from her head. She looks over as the mask is removed and it reveals the face of a handsome man. His hair is dark and shaggy. A short scruff covers his mouth and cheeks. His eyes are beautiful and almost child-like. There are smiles wrinkles that surround them. There are also permanent lines in his face that gave the impression of years of stress and suffering.

"I must say, Skywalker, you're the last person I thought I'd see here," the woman chimes, slinging her gun around her shoulder.

"Were you expecting someone else?" Luke jokes in return.

She scoffs as the man walks up and stands closely beside her.

"Rey this is Mal and her friend…" Luke starts.

"Cassian," Mal finishes his statement. "And you must be Rey. I don't think there's anyone in the whole galaxy who doesn't know your name by now."

Cassian smiles. Chewie roars in agreement.

"So what brings Luke Skywalker and Rey to Felucia? Nothing good I presume," Mal drawls, her eyes flashing back to Rey's.

"It seems we need your expertise," Luke responds. "Perhaps we could discuss it in depth back at your hut."

"Mmm," Mal agrees. "We don't want Rey stepping on anymore Empire-made land mines."

Rey frowns, but willingly follows them into the forest. Mal leads, Cassian brings up the back. They soon come across a small hut, hidden away in a small corner of the forest. Rey wouldn't have noticed it at first.

"Lovely place," Luke comments as they gather inside.

Chewie has to duck because of his size. It's a small place. There's a small table and a bed tucked away in the corner. An assortment of weapons are scattered across the room. In the opposite corner there's a set of computer screens and keyboards.

"Mal is a bounty hunter of information. People across the galaxy pay her to find out the things they desire to know," Luke speaks as if he read Rey's mind.

"So what is it exactly that you wish to know, Luke Skywalker?" Mal asks, leaning her gun against the wall.

Luke takes a seat on the nearby chair, grunting softly as he sits. "We need to find Kylo Ren."

Her face drops. Cassian doesn't seem affected. He busies himself in the back, stripping from the thick camo suit and mask.

"You're not kidding are you?" she gapes.

"I know it's a lot to ask but we don't have much time and we need to find him as soon as possible," Luke insists.

She laughs, shaking her head and rubbing her forehead. "So you're saying that the man she left to die… the man who's killed more innocent people than I can count… What? You want to find that asshole?"

"He could be very valuable to the Resistance and we have reason to believe they're going to kill him."

She snorts, turning and walking toward Cassian. She puts a hand on his shoulder and it gets his attention. "Good riddens."

"Our payment would be a spot for you and your friend on the Resistance base. You would be safe there."

Mal begins moving her hands and arms in different motions as Cassian watches. Rey watches in wonder… and confusion. Cassian's eyes go wide and he turns to stare at Rey. Mal turns back to them.

"So where did you come across this information. How do you know they're going to kill him?" she asks, suspiciously.

"I saw it in a vision. He's been reaching out to me," Rey answers.

Their attention turns to her.

"Why the hell would he reach out to you?" Mal spits.

Luke responds quickly. "I believe when Rey was captured and Kylo was trying to invade her mind he unknowingly created a connection or bond between them. I doubt he would reach out to her consciously. So I believe that while he's unconscious his mind finds the only connection he has left and uses it to send help. That connection is Rey's."

Mal looks back and forth from Luke to Rey. "How can you be sure?"

"I can't. But I can tell you that during the years when I trained him as a young boy, I showed him that trick to protect himself in times of trouble. I have taught Rey the same trick."

"You can train your subconscious to alert someone for help?" Mal asks curiously.

Luke nods. "Only someone you've connected with in the force. For Ben Solo it was his mother and I. For Kylo Ren it seems to only be Rey."

Mal crosses her arms, frowning. Cassian touches her shoulder and uses similar hand motions that she had used only moments ago. She nods, doing a short motion back.

"Cassian wants to know what will be done with him if you find him in time," Mal sighs.

"Can he not speak?" Rey asks quickly.

Mal turns to her and smiles. "I met Cassian a little less than a year ago. He helped me escape a job. Unfortunately doing so put him a little too close to a bomb. It damaged the left side of his body. He lost his entire left arm and it seems shattered his ear drums. He hasn't been able to hear since. But I took care of him. I found a book of signing in one of the Coruscant libraries. We communicate through sign language now. I've also installed a device in his arm that records language and translates it so he can read it."

She grabs his arm and raises it. There's a small screen just on the inside of his forearm. Rey hadn't noticed it before.

"He doesn't always like to read it of course," she smiles, her hand moving down to lace her fingers with his. He smiles warmly. "He prefers our sign language."

They look at each other and Rey can't help but to look away. She feels like she's intruding on a private moment. Deep down somewhere she feels a sort of jealousy. She had dreams of finding someone who would look at her like she was the only one that ever mattered. That dream died long ago when she came to the realization she'd be utterly alone. Still, the desire bubbled deep down inside her.

"We would take him back to the base and lock him up. I think once he realized his position he would be willing to give us vital information. With the information he knows, he could help us take down the First Order," Luke responds, breaking the moment.

It begins to rain outside. The droplets hit the roof loudly, filling the short silence.

"Will you help us?" Luke asks.

Mal frowns. "I suppose I do owe you from that one time at that one place."

Luke smiles. "How quickly can you get it?"

Mal's frown turns into a mischievous smile. "Well there is an abandoned First Order garrison just over the ridge."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I loved Rogue One so much I wanted to include a Cassian look a like in my story to honor him :) haha it's of course not Cassian Andor. Comment/review! :)


	3. Ch. 3

Mal, Cassian, Rey, and Chewie make their way through the forest and down to the abandoned garrison. They stop at the top of the ridge, overlooking the ruins.

"Cassian and Chewie will stay here and watch us from above," Mal explains.

Cassian gets down and starts piecing together his gun.

"Cassian is the best sharp shooter in the galaxy," Mal boasts, putting a hand on his shoulder.

He looks up at her and smiles. Chewie roars.

"It's ok Chewie," Rey says. "I'll be fine down there."

"And Cassian needs someone to watch his back," Mal adds in.

She turns to Rey. "As soon as I tap into the hard drive to access the database the First Order will know. They'll most likely send troops to take us out, so we have to be fast."

Rey nods. They begin their descent into the canyon. It's a shallow and rocky path. Any miss step of the foot will have them plunging to their deaths.

"Thanks by the way," Rey starts, making small talk. "For saving my life. The Empire really has traps still set out there?"

Mal laughs. "There was a war here. The Empire didn't want to take any chances. They set traps everywhere surrounding this place. Most of them were set off but there's still a few around here that would blow you into a million pieces."

Rey notices that the shaved spots above her ears have black symbols engrained on her skull.

"What do those symbols mean on your head?" Rey asks, her foot slipping on a rock. She watches it crash to the bottom.

"Ever heard of the Blood Runners?" Mal asks in return.

Rey thinks about it for a moment. The name seemed vaguely familiar. At the trading post on Jakku there were always several travelers that would stop for supplies and fuel.

"I feel like I've heard the name before," Rey responds quietly.

"Well," Mal grunts, using her strength to pull herself over a gap in the road. "I was actually born in a prison. My parents were thieves and were arrested when my mom was pregnant with me. When I was a little older I was able to escape the prison but I was captured by the Blood Runners. Fortunately, their leader Antaki Tolorna, took pity on me and raised me as one of her own. They taught me how to fight and steal. They're a gang you see, stationed out of Atollon. They're like the Hutts but on the other side of the Galaxy. I was a bounty hunter for them for years. Antaki let me go when I was eighteen."

She stands on the other side of the gap, brushing her dirty hands on her pants. She waits for Rey to crawl over the hole.

"So you still wear their symbol?" Rey asks in a strained voice as she climbs over.

"They burned it onto my skull," Mal scoffs. "I don't think I have the option not to wear it."

Rey hops over to the other side. They continue walking down the path. When they make it down the bottom the various colorful planets have disappeared. Everything seems to be covered in a sheet of black. Destroyed AT-ATs and craters cover the ground in front of the building walls. Large birds swarm around old bones. They walk quickly through the ruins.

They enter through the front doors, but there isn't much of a building they've walked into. The roof is completely gone and there's only two short walls on either side. There's rubble everywhere and they have to navigate through it.

"How are we going to find the main hard line?" Rey asks as they make their way through the chunks of building and cables.

"You'd think they would have destroyed it," Mal says. "But it's deep underground and most of the bombs didn't even touch it. We just have to find a hole in the ground and I'll be able to access it."

Rey starts searching the ground. After about five minutes of searching they find one. They both peer down into the darkness. Mal turns on her head lamp and drops a rock down inside. They hear it clang after a few seconds.

"Money ball," Mal smiles, pulling off her pack and grabbing her grappling gear.

She hooks the harness around her waist and drives the nail into the dirt above the hole. She connects the grappling hook to it and leans back to test the weight. It holds steady.

"Am I not coming with you?" Rey asks.

"No," Mal says quickly in response. "I need someone up here to keep a look out."

"I thought this place was abandoned?" Rey snaps.

"Well use the force, Jedi. Do you feel alone out here?" she jokes as she lowers herself into the hole.

Rey did feel a little uneasy, like someone other than Cassian was watching them. Everything creaked and moaned in a spooky way. Or perhaps it was the fact that this place was covered in the bodies of the dead. Rey grips her lightsaber tightly, ready for any movement.

Mal makes it to the bottom and pulls out her equipment. She crouches in front of a long tube of wires. She pulls out a knife and cuts carefully through the plastic lining of a large wire. She then pulls out her own cable and hooks it to the wire. It begins transmitting information onto her holopad.

"I'm in!" she shouts up to Rey.

She begins sorting through the information. Doors to certain information are already beginning to close. They knew. But no one was as good of a hacker as she was. She quickly places a virus to slow them down. Information on Kylo Ren proved to be more difficult to find than she had thought. Whatever they were doing to him really was top secret information. Someone did not want the entire First Order knowing what had happened to him.

Mal finds bits and pieces of information about his movements over the past year. There were frightening bits about past projects and ones being prepared for the future.

"I have a bad feeling about this," Rey shouts down to her.

Mal ignores her as she digs deeper into the information. The virus she had placed was gone now and the First Order was breathing down her neck, locking all kinds of doors. Then she saw it! An order placed only minutes earlier about moving Kylo Ren to the main Destroyer. He would be transported in a prisoner cargo ship.

"Got it!" Mal shouted, extracting the information onto a small flash drive. She's about to shut down the connection when something else catches her eye.

Rey waits anxiously at the top, her eyes flashing around, watching for any movement. All of the sudden a Tie Fighter roars overhead.

"Mal we need to go now!" Rey shouts down the hole, hiding herself from view.

A cargo ship full of troopers passes overhead soon after.

"No," Rey whispers quietly.

"Give me just a few more seconds!" Mal yells.

"I thought you said you got it!" Rey shouts back, watching for Stormtroopers from behind a piece of rubble. A squad of Stormtroopers make their way into open space, their guns at the ready.

"Dammnit!" she whispers, readying herself to jump out and begin her attack.

They get close, and just as she's about to jump out, there are several shots. Three of the six Stormtroopers collapse. The others turn frantically, shooting at the air. The other three are shot down one by one.

Cassian, Rey thinks, smiling to herself.

"Mal!" She whispers angrily into the hole. "We have to go now!"

Mal's head pops up from the hole. "I'm here! Will you relax?"

"What took you so long?!" Rey snaps furiously.

She hastily undoes her harness and shoves it into her pack. She grabs her gun and points to an opening opposite of them.

"It takes a while to extract information, ok?" she spits back, though Rey has a feeling that she's lying.

They sprint across the opening toward the hole. Blaster fire explodes all around them. Mal shoots at them as they run across. Several troopers go down.

They burst out of the opening and crash into the wild forest around them. Rey can't tell where they're going. She hears the roar of Tie fighters above them. There are explosions all around them. There's an explosion on the ridge.

_Chewie! Cassian!_

She puts that thought out of her mind and pushes her legs to keep up with Mal. They make it to the bottom of the cliff but there isn't a path that leads them up.

"How are we going to get up there?" Rey gasps.

"We aren't," Mal growls, leaning against the rock wall and aiming her gun to the sky. She shoots at Tie Fighters passing overhead.

Rey doesn't have a gun. She only carries her lightsaber and staff. The only thing she could possibly try to use is the Force. She focuses on a Tie fighter headed straight for them. She closes her eyes, reaching out her hand to feel the pull of the Force. Mal is shooting at it frantically beside her. She blocks out the noise.

And suddenly Kylo is beside her. He looks over at her, his position mimicking hers. His feet are planted and his hand outstretched in front of him. The scar across his face is a deep red, but there's no blood on him.

 _You can do it_ , he whispers in her mind. _Concentrate. We can do it together._

She turns back to the Tie Fighter. Its pull is so strong. But she pushes back. It's like she can feel her hand reach around the entire ship and grab it.

 _That's it_ , Kylo encourages her. _Together._

Once her grip on the ship is firm she yanks her hand to the side. Kylo mimics the movements in time with her. She opens her eyes as the ship flies to the side, crashing into the trees with an explosion. She breathes out shakily, slowly lowering her hand. Rey looks over at Mal who's staring back at her wide eyed and mouth agape.

"Holy fuck," Mal whispers in amazement.

Rey looks over at her other side where Kylo had been standing. He was gone. Rey swallowed, her mind spinning. Was she just dreaming or had he helped her? Kylo Ren. The man she hated. The man she swore to kill. The man that had tried to kill her.

A roar of a ship appears above them. Both Mal and Rey shield their eyes as the wind whips around them. The landing ramp opens and Cassian stands at the top, waving frantically for them to jump in. Rey grabs Mal's hand and jumps up on the landing ramp. They run inside and Mal crashes into Cassian's arms. They hug for a moment as Rey leaves them and sprints to the cockpit.

"Did you find it?" Luke asks as he steers the ship away from the ground. The ship shakes and jerks as the Tie fighters shoot at them.

"Yes," Rey answers, before turning around and heading to man the gun.

She climbs down the ladder and pulls on the headset. Finn had sat here the first time they flew together. She missed him. The system was strange, her chair moving back and forth as she shoots at the fighters.

Rey shoots down the last one as they break through the atmosphere and enter into lightspeed. She leans back in the chair, taking a deep breath. After a moment she makes her way back to the top and is surprised to see everyone standing, looking at her.

"So you really are a Jedi," Mal says, there's a mix of awe and fear in her tone.

Cassian and Luke stand next to her. Luke is smiling from ear to ear.

"I'm not a Jedi yet," Rey corrects. "My training is not yet complete."

Rey decides not to tell Luke that Kylo had been there to help her. She was still too confused about it herself to bring it up.

"We are going to find Kylo," Luke confirms, walking up and putting a hand on her shoulder. "Is there anything you would like to tell me?"

Mal and Cassian head quietly to the cockpit. Luke stares at her quizzically. She can feel him watching every twitch in her face.

"No, Master," she lies, adding a fast smile at the end.

He gives her another long look before nodding and turning away. When he disappears into the cockpit she lets out the breath she had been holding. Hesitantly she looks over to the left and sees Kylo, leaning against the wall, arms crossed and eyes boring holes into her forehead.

She grabs her shoulders and follows Luke quickly into the cockpit.


	4. Ch. 4

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I was listening to Black Skinhead by Kanye West during the writing of their escape from the destroyer. I thought it sounded badass so. Enjoy!

They land next to a small canyon on the planet of Geonosis. Mal told them they could find a stolen First Order Transporter at one of the Blood Runner Outposts. That way they could board a First Order Destroyer without being blown out of the sky on sight.

"Listen, Cassian and I will be back in like ten minutes," Mal insists as she throws spare parts and gold coins into her pack.

"Why can't I go with you?" Rey asks, crossing her arms over her chest.

Mal snaps up in irritation. "Look, you don't know Antaki like I do, ok? I can't guarantee that there won't be trouble if two Jedi show up snooping around."

She slings the backpack around her shoulders and then picks up a gun and tosses it to Rey. Rey grabs it without flinching.

"Just wait up here and guard the ship."

Mal and Cassian walk down the ramp and disappear into the sand storm. Chewie closes the ramp.

An hour later they return, a First Order Transporter in stow. They all gather in without a word. Chewie stays with the Milenium Falcon, calling out to them as they board the other ship.

"Stay on the radio, Chewie," Rey orders, pointing at the com on her jacket. "We may need you if something goes wrong."

He nods and voices his good luck.

They take off soon after, pulling on Stormtrooper gear. Rey doesn't fail to notice how quiet and withdrawn Mal seems. Whatever happened with the Blood Runners she obviously didn't enjoy it and didn't want to talk about it.

Cassian pulls on a commander uniform. It fits him nicely and it almost looks too normal, like he had worn one before.

"This isn't the first time I've worn a Stormtrooper suit," Luke says softly as he pulls on the white boots.

Rey gives him a quizzical look.

He laughs. "When I was first pulled into the Rebellion I saved General Organa from the Death Star. Han and I dressed up as 'troopers and got her out."

"That's when Vader killed Obi-Wan, wasn't it?"

Luke smiles and nods.

"So do we know which cargo ship our old friend Ren is on?" Mal calls out from the cockpit.

Luke pats Rey on the shoulder. "All is as the Force wills it."

He stands up, his 'trooper helmet tucked in his armpit. Rey finishes putting on her suit before heading to the cockpit as well. She puts her lightsaber into the little pouch at her waist.

"By this time he should already be on the destroyer," Luke says, pointing to the screen.

"There's three within a few miles of us. Which one is he going to be on?" Mal asks.

Rey looks down at the screen. She finds Kylo's connection and tries to pinpoint the pull. It's definitely getting stronger, she can tell. She points to the destroyer on the very right.

"It's that one. He's on that one," she points.

"How do you know?" Mal snaps.

"I don't know… I just do," Rey responds quietly.

Luke shrugs, putting a hand on both Mal and Cassian's shoulders. "We shall head to that one then."

A few minutes later they break from lightspeed and come upon a huge destroyer. Someone radios them almost immediately.

"Tower to SW-726, what's your haul, over?" the voice says from the radio.

"Resupply and refuel," Mal answers quickly. "Transmitting code now."

There's silence for a few moments before the voice responds. "SW-726 you are clear for landing."

Mal breathes out and they all sigh with relief. They slowly make their way to an opening in the ship. There are several other ships parked in the bay. A First Order 'trooper waves them in.

"Alright so what's the plan?" Mal mutters, as they step out of the cockpit and ready themselves in front of the closed ramp.

"I'm assuming he'll be in the prisoner area of the ship, if that's where they put him," Rey suggests.

"Cassian will know where that is," Mal nods, touching his arm.

He looks down at his forearm and then nods.

"We take him and bring him back. We'll tell the officers we're transporting him," Rey says, opening the ramp and pulling on her helmet.

"Snoke's orders," Luke says quietly as they descend from the ramp.

Rey holds her breath, her eyes flashing around as they walk through the bay, Luke at her side and Mal and Cassian in front of them. No one gives them a second look.

Once they get in the halls, Rey starts to breathe again and it's deafeningly loud under the helmet. She hopes the troopers that pass by can't hear it. Cassian leads them, walking stiff and proper, his hands gently clasped behind his back. Perhaps Rey thought it was a little unnerving that he seemed so natural in this environment. Mal and Cassian were, after-all, not members of the Resistance. For years she had helped both sides acquire information. It had only been recently that she started exclusively helping the Resistance.

There's a pull in the force and she stops suddenly. Something wasn't right. Rey stopped next to a hallway on her right. At the end of the hall is a closed door. Flashes from her dreams appear in her vision.

"It's this way," Rey murmurs.

They all gather around Rey and peer down the hallway.

"That's not a prison cell," Mal whispers.

Cassian signs something, his eyes concerned.

"Cassian wants to know if you think it's a trap," Mal whispers again, glaring at 'troopers as they walk by.

Rey shakes her head. "I don't know. Something's not right."

Mal snaps down the eyes of her helmet. "Well let's check it out."

Cassian doesn't move. He signs to Mal that he will stay at the end of the hall and keep watch. Mal leads the two 'troopers down the hall and opens the door slowly. Rey's head hurts. She felt similarities from her visions but it definitely wasn't the same. But he was definitely in this room.

There's an array of computers and monitors spread across the room. Several First Order soldiers and 'troopers busy themselves about. They barely notice that they've entered the room.

A commander approaches them. His face is harsh and his eyes are a beady black.

"Are you lost, Corporal?" he snarls at Mal.

There's a moment of silence where Mal doesn't respond. The man is glaring her down, his hand on the blaster at his side.

"Nope," Mal finally says through the helmet, then raises her gun and shoots him.

The commander goes flying backward, crashing into a 'trooper behind him. Rey opens fire on the other 'troopers and within a matter of seconds all of the troopers are down except for one. Mal rips off her helmet and runs over to the man. She grabs him by the collar and yanks him off the ground. Cassian comes bursting through the door.

"Where's Kylo Ren?" she yells at the soldier.

His eyes are wide and full of fear. "I-I don't know,."

He's stuttering.

"Mal, he doesn't know," Luke chides her softly.

Mal huffs, dropping him on the ground and then blasting him in the head.

Rey looks over at Cassian. "How did you hear us?"

He signs something at her. Mal translates. "Vibrations."

"Oh."

"Well now we've gotten ourselves into a whole lotta shit," Mal grumbles.

Luke turns to Rey. "You're sure he was in here?"

Rey nods. "I felt him! Unless it was…"

"A trap?" Someone finishes her sentence.

They all turn around to see Kylo, slumped on the ground with Hux behind him, a gun pressed against Kylo's head. Hux yanks Kylo's head up by the hair.

Why wasn't Kylo fighting him? He could easily overpower Hux any day, Rey thought.

"Do you really think we were stupid enough to let you walk in here and take him?" Hux snarls.

"Yes," Mal snaps quickly, raising her gun to aim at his head.

Hux shoves he gun harder onto Kylo's head. "I'll kill him."

Mal scoffs. "Does it look like I give a shit?"

"Mal! We need him alive!" Rey exclaims. She slowly takes off her helmet and puts down her gun.

Luke does the same, but he doesn't take off his helmet. As soon as Kylo sees Rey's face a flash of rage flickers through his eyes.

"What do you want, Hux?" Rey growls, watching his every move.

"I'm actually surprised you fell for our little trap," Hux gloats. "I didn't think it would actually work. I didn't think you'd actually come to his rescue."

Rey looks down at Kylo and his eyes are still wide with an unbridled rage.

"I've captured the only one who bested Kylo Ren. She will be glad to learn of my success," he continues, a wicked smile on his face.

"She?" Rey asks, confused.

"Of course we'll probably just kill your little band of misfits. The First Order doesn't deal with gang scum," Hux spits. "Who's your friend under the mask?"

Suddenly Kylo jerks to the side, knocking away Hux and throwing his blaster away from him. Kylo lunges violently for Rey but Cassian leaps in front of her, tackling Kylo to the ground. Mal shoots at Hux, but he runs out of the room, closing the door behind him before they could follow.

Luke runs over to help Cassian. It's surprising to Rey how quickly the two of them overtake Kylo. But then again Rey notices how easily his skin bruises and bleeds and how small his body has become. Luke grabs one arm and Cassian grabs the other. They yank him to his feet and pull his arms away from his body. Kylo's hair falls over his angry eyes and blood pours from his nose. He roars like an animal, trying to yank out of Luke and Cassian's grip but they pull him tight. Kylo glares menacingly up at her.

Mal moves to stand next to Rey, her gun pointed at Kylo's head.

"We're rescuing you," Rey states firmly.

Kylo's expression doesn't change.

"We're taking you back to the rebel base."

He struggles against them again. "Over my dead body," he growls.

"I can arrange that," Mal chimes, cocking her gun. He snaps his head over to look at her.

"You'll either come with us willingly, or we will leave you here to die," Rey threatens.

His eyes flash back to Rey's. She can see the contemplation in his eyes.

"Rey we don't have time for this," Mal snaps.

"Fine," he growls.

Rey glares at him for a moment longer before nodding at Luke and Cassian. They lift him up off the ground. Mal shoots him in the leg. Kylo cries out, falling to one side.

"What are you doing?" Rey exclaims.

Mal sniffs. "Just in case the asshole wants to try and make a break for it."

Rey rolls her eyes and the head to the door. They prepare themselves for the oncoming fire.

"Stand back," Mal says, pulling out another gun from her side. "I got this."

She twirls the guns in her hands and cracks her neck on each side.

Mal licks her lips. "This is my favorite part."

Rey yanks open the door and Mal opens fire. She moves faster than anyone Rey had ever seen. Every shot she takes hits its target. Stormtroopers drop like flies. She jumps between 'troopers, using their bodies as shields as she eats through the platoon. Rey looks back at Kylo who's face is twisted into some sort of amazement and surprise. Cassian smiles and Rey feels like if he could speak he'd say, "yepp, she's mine."

She turns back to watch Mal go. There's one trooper left and he lands a shot on her shoulder. Mal looks down at the shoulder guard. The blast hadn't gone through. The 'trooper slowly lowers his gun and begins to back up. Mal suddenly jumps forward, grabbing his helmet and smashing it against the wall. She points the two blasters down each direction of the hall and shoots several times before everything goes silent.

Mal then twirls the guns around in each hand and hooks them gracefully back into their holsters. She turns around and smiles.

"Well come on! We don't have all day," she waves dramatically.

Rey runs to catch her. Kylo's arms are draped over Luke and Cassian's shoulders as they drag him through the hallway. Rey and Mal shoot down 'troopers that appear all around them. It's not long before they reach their ship. They sprint towards it and suddenly it explodes. The force of the blow throws them backwards. Cassian and Luke lose their grip on Kylo. As soon as the smoke is somewhat cleared Kylo lunges for Rey. He tackles her harshly to the ground, his hands immediately going for her throat.

His hate for her fuels him to ignore the pain in his leg. But her hate for him equally fuels her. She thrashes against him, one of her legs coming slightly loose. She uses her knee to drive it into his gut. He grunts, loosening his grip just enough around her throat. Rey slams her head against his, knocking him off her.

She jumps up quickly, grabbing her gun off the ground and leaping over to where he begins to crawl toward her again. Rey uses the force to push him backward onto the ground. Flipping the gun in her hand, she slams the butt of the gun into his head. He drops unconscious to the ground.

Mal and Cassian run over. Cassian has Luke's arm slung across his shoulders. Luke limps heavily, one of his hands pressed against his thigh. The white piece of the Stormtrooper suit had been blown off.

"Let's go," Mal grabs one of Kylo's arms and Rey grabs the other.

They drag Kylo onto the next ship, Cassian and Luke following closely behind them. They jump onto the ship and Cassian runs for the cockpit, letting Luke drop to the floor. Rey rushes to his side.

"Rey, help Cassian man the ship. We're not out of the woods yet," Mal orders as she handcuffs Kylo to one of the ships posts. "I've got Luke."

"Go Rey," Luke insists.

Rey leaves his side and jumps up into the cockpit. Cassian weaves in and out of the TIE fighters. They shoot at them. Rey grabs the controls on the other side. She taps his shoulder and mimics shooting a gun. He seems to get the point and nods, leaving to go man the gun. Rey starts pushing all kinds of buttons, frantically steering in and out of the fire.

They break away from the fleet and Cassian takes out some of the fighters that follow. Out of the corner of her eye she sees another ship enter from hyperspace into the fleet. It's a strange looking ship, but she barely has time to see it before she pulls the lever and they shoot into lightspeed, leaving the First Order behind them.

Rey sighs, letting go of the controls, her hands shaking. She stumbles out of the cockpit and joins Mal and Luke. Mal is just finishing wrapping up Luke's wound.

"You did an excellent job, Rey," Luke smiles.

"Thanks," Rey breathes, looking over at Kylo's unconscious form.

Cassian pops up from manning the gun.

"Luke what are the coordinates for the base?" Mal asks.

Mal writes it down as Luke tells her. She hands the paper to Cassian. He takes it and goes to the cockpit.

"I don't understand," Rey whispers, still shaking a little. "The dreams, the visions… they were so real. Kylo wanted me to save him. He was begging me…"

Luke hums in agreement. "Sometimes your subconscious acts in ways your consciousness doesn't."

"So they knew he was doing that?" she asks. "They knew he was contacting me?"

Luke looks up at her. There's sadness in his eyes. "Someone very powerful in the force can have the ability to see into the deepest parts of another's mind."

"Snoke?"

Luke doesn't respond.

"And Hux was talking about someone… a girl. Like she was looking for me. Who was he talking about?" Rey wonders.

Mal finishes up Luke's bandage and begins to put the first aid kit away.

"I don't know," Luke responds flatly.

It's a lie. Rey knows because it's the same tone of voice he uses when he tells her he doesn't know anything about her family.

"Rey, you're becoming a Jedi. Forget about your family. A Jedi does not have any attachments," he had told her the last time she asked.

It's the exact same tone. But Rey decides not to push it, not now anyways. Not when Luke was hurt and Kylo Ren was unconscious a few feet away.

Kylo awakens suddenly but Mal slams the butt of her gun against his head, knocking him out again.

Mal looks over at Rey. "You might have to keep an eye on him. I don't know how many more times you'll have to do that in order to keep him knocked out."

Rey nods and Mal disappears into the cockpit. Rey sits down quietly next to Luke.

"I'm going to meditate now. Nudge me when we get there," she mutters.

Rey closes her eyes and takes a deep breath. She feels all her thoughts and concerns flood her mind. Rey tried to sift through the visions and dreams she had of Kylo, trying to find flaws or discrepancies. He had helped her destroy that TIE fighter on Felucia. He had begged her multiple times on Achtoo to find him and help him. Everything had screamed trap to her yet both her and Luke had fallen for it so easily. Or at least Luke had. Maybe this mysterious girl had something to do with it. Maybe Snoke had a trick up his sleeve.

They arrive at the base faster than Rey expected. They radio the tower and it takes the voice of Luke to convince them they weren't First Order spies.

"Tell the General it's her brother, and he would like to land and get some bacta put on his leg wound," Luke drawls, slight irritation in his voice.

They land shortly after. When the ramp lowers, they're greeted by men with guns pointed at them. They walk down the ramp, hands in the air. As soon as the general sees Rey and Luke, she orders them to put their guns down.

General Organa runs forward and quickly embraces Luke. They hug for a long time. Rey, Mal, and Cassian follow slowly behind.

"Rey," Leia smiles, moving from Luke to embrace Rey. "We're so glad to have you back."

She looks over at Mal and Cassian. "I hear you've helped the Resistance."

Mal stares without saying a word. Her lips are drawn tight and her eyes are hesitant.

"General," Rey whispers, bringing Leia's attention back to Rey. "We have your son."

Her eyebrows knit together.

"He's chained to one of the posts on the ship. We knocked him unconscious, so he's all yours," Mal states matter-of-factly.

General Organa takes a step back. "Captain Fassor, gather your men and take Kylo Ren to the containment sector."

A few men jog up and then continue onto the ship.

"Take these two there as well," Leia adds, pointing to Mal and Cassian.

Mal faces twists into anger. "Excuse me?"

Men show up behind them and begin to cuff them.

"Wait, General-" Rey starts.

"Mal Tolorna used to be an enemy to the Resistance. We can't clear her until she stands trial. Her friend as well," Leia orders, holding her hands elegantly behind her back.

"You're joking," Mal snorts, but her eyes are angry. "Luke promised us sanctuary here."

Leia smiles. "Luke has no say on who gets to stay here or not, no matter if he is a Jedi, or my brother."

A soldier pushes on Cassian. "Didn't you hear me? Move!"

Mal shoves her body against the soldier knocking him to the ground. Another solider grabs her arms, yanking her away.

"He's deaf you shithead!" she shouts as they drag her away.

"Rey, I'm afraid we will have to take you into questioning as well, just as a precaution," Leia chimes.

Rey nods. "My friends, they're good people. I don't know what they did in their past, but we wouldn't have been able to do this without them."

Leia nods. Her eyes are sad as she watches the men carry Kylo's limp body off the ship and throw him onto a transport vehicle.

"The council has to clear their name. I'm sure they'll be fine. Besides, we could use them. Our numbers are dwindling."

Chewie comes up from behind Leia. He hugs Rey and she laughs.

"Glad you made it, Chewie," Rey laughs.

"Come inside, Rey," Leia says as she grabs Rey's shoulder, leading her to the closest building. "We have a lot to catch up on."

Rey follows, looking behind her as they drive away with Kylo's limp, unconscious body.


	5. Ch. 5

Rey sits across from Finn and Poe in the mess hall, shoving food down her throat. She couldn't remember the last time she had eaten, and even though the food was sub-par, it tasted delicious now. It wasn't until Finn cleared his throat when Rey looks up, noticing that both Finn and Poe had stopped eating, and were staring at her.

She stops mid-chew. "What?"

Poe raises his eyebrows.

"Do you always have to eat like you're a starving child?" Finn teases lightly.

"Well she is a starving child," Poe counters, pointing at her arm. "I mean look at her. She's skin and bone."

Rey's eyes flicker from her arm to Finn. Finn turns his body around to face Poe.

"Ok, but does Luke Skywalker look like skin and bone? No," Finn argues back.

Rey looks at Poe, slowly beginning to chew her food again.

Poe smiles. "What exactly did you eat on your mysterious island planet?"

Rey swallows her food and sits back as she sees General Organa approach the table.

"Berries and local meat," she says quickly, before standing up with her tray. "General."

Poe and Finn stand quickly as well when they see her. Leia smiles at them, raising a hand. They sit down just as fast.

"Rey, I've come to inform you that your friends are being brought in for questioning now. You are welcome to come and watch," Leia says.

Rey nods and empties her tray in the nearby garbage disposal. She follows Leia hastily out of the room. They walk down several different hallways until they get to a small auditorium-like room. There's a chair sitting in front of a theater of seats. Between the seats and the chair there's a piece of glass.

"Your friends won't be able to see you during the interrogation," Leia whispers as they sit down. "But you can see them."

"Is this where they hold all the trials?" Rey asks, watching as one or two others file into the room.

Leia nods. "There's an electric barrier around the walls, in case one tries to escape."

"Someone like Kylo Ren," Rey murmurs.

Leia gives a solemn nod.

The door opens suddenly and Cassian is pushed in, wearing padded hand cuffs. The guards point to the chair and Cassian sits obediently.

"He's quite passive," Leia comments. "Quite opposite of your other friend."

Rey smiles. She had only known Mal for less than 48 hours but she had grown fond of her fiery personality.

"Cassian is an excellent sharp-shooter," Rey notes. "He's also an excellent pilot."

A voice breaks out over an intercom. A woman goes to stand next to Cassian. There's a small screen in front of him, and as the voice speaks, the words flash on the screen.

"Are you one Cassian Drackon?" the voice says.

After a few moments Cassian nods.

"Is your allegiance with the Resistance or the First Order?"

Cassian lifts up his cuffs, irritation on his face. A soldier runs in and undoes the clasp. Cassian nods to him and rubs his wrists. He then signs something quickly. The woman watches and then speaks.

"The Resistance," she states boldly.

"Are you willing to fight for and serve the Resistance while you are stationed at this base?"

Cassian nods.

"That was easy," Rey whispers.

"One last question, Mr. Drackon. Did you or did you not once fight with the First Order as a Stormtrooper, murdering innocents and obeying the orders of the Dark Side?"

A flash of anger crosses his features when he reads the question. He stands, signing his answer with a slight smirk on his face. The woman hesitates to relay his answer.

"Well?" the voice presses.

The woman clears her throat, quite uncomfortable. "He says, and I quote, 'eat shit', sir."

There's a murmur of laughter in the crowd. Cassian's smirk grows on his face.

"I believe Cassian learned all his jokes from Mal," Rey whispers humorously.

"Very well," the voice says. "You're free to go. You are no longer prisoner here. Your assignments will be given to you shortly."

Cassian smiles and does a curt bow before leaving the room. There's a few minutes that pass by before they bring in Mal. She fights against the guards that drag her in.

"I'm not an animal," she spits as they shove her into the room.

She looks around, noting the chair, then stares intently at the glass.

"You won't even let me see you as you interrogate me? Even the First Order had enough balls to show their faces," she snarls.

Leia leans over to Rey. "Yep. Spitfire."

Rey laughs quietly.

The guards come in and force her down onto the chair. They take their place behind the chair quickly after.

"Are you one Mal Tolorna?" the voice says.

Mal slumps in the chair, sighing. "Yes."

"Is your allegiance with the First Order?"

"No," she drawls, dropping her head back like she was tirelessly bored.

"Is your allegiance with the Resistance?"

She rolls her head back up and smiles. "No."

"Does that mean your allegiance is with the Blood Runners?"

Her smile fades and her eyes narrow. "No. I left them a long time ago."

"So if you were given the opportunity to stay here on the base and help defeat the First Order, would you willingly oblige?"

She sighs and rolls her eyes. "Of course. I'm here because Cassian is. As long as he stays, I stay. I'll do whatever the hell you want. Just get me out of these handcuffs, will ya?"

She raises her cuffed hands in the air.

"Very well," the voice snaps. "Only a few more questions."

Mal shrugs, slumping back in the chair and dropping her hands into her lap.

"Is it true that you were born in a prison on the planet of Geonosis?"

This seems to snap her to attention. She sits up slowly, her eyebrows knitting together in a frown.

"And when you escaped this prison, is it true that you left your family to die?"

A familiar rage enters her eyes. Rey turns quietly to Leia. "What is this?"

Leia keeps her eyes trained forward, watching Mal with intensity.

"I'm sorry, what does this have to do with anything?" Mal bursts.

"And then you joined a ruthless gang known as the Blood Runners soon after, becoming one of their top fighters, is that correct?"

Rey can feel Mal's heartrate being to climb. Her chest begins to heave and a dark aura of anger begins to surround her.

"How dare you," she growls menacingly.

"Answer the questions please, Miss Tolorna."

She jumps up but the guards grab her shoulders and shove her back down on the chair.

"My family was murdered before I could even climb out," Mal roars, her body shaking. "The other prisoners beat them to death before they even had a chance."

Rey grips her seat rest tightly. Tear begin to spill over Mal's cheeks.

"I was an orphan, abandoned, left to die. I didn't join the Blood Runners. Antaki Tolorna found me and out of her good graces took me in as her own. I would have died without them."

She takes a moment to breathe, wiping away the stray tears.

"I became their best fighter so that no one else could take away from me the people I love. So _fuck_ you," she snaps, glaring through the glass.

There's a long period of silence before the voice finally responds.

"That is all. Miss Tolorna you are free to go. Your assignments will be given to you shortly."

She scoffs as the guards come around and take off the handcuffs. She wipes the rest of her tears from her cheeks.

"It's Mal you asswipes," she grumbles as she leaves the room.

Rey stands as the lights brighten in the room. "Was that really necessary?"

Leia stands and begins to walk out of the room. "Sometimes we need to crack the defiant. Just a little."

"I thought it was unnecessarily cruel," Rey insists, following Leia into the hallway. Luke stands just outside, a warm smile on his face.

"I am sorry," Leia sighs, stopping in front of Luke. "It's a cruel tactic but it had to be done. We had to make sure she would be loyal."

"And that was the way to do it?" Rey exclaims, appalled.

Leia touches Rey's shoulder. "Rey, I am sorry."

Leia smiles softly and then leaves with some of the other captains. Luke watches Rey for a moment, feeling the bubbling anger tame itself back into submission.

"Master Skywalker," Rey sighs after containing her anger.

"Rey I was hoping to have a word with you. Walk with me," he says, putting a hand on the back of her shoulder as they begin to walk down the hall.

"Listen, there are very dark times ahead of us, Rey. I feel a great disturbance in the Force. You were asking me earlier about a girl that General Hux had mentioned, and I told you I didn't know anything. Do you remember?"

Rey nods. "Yes."

Luke sighs painfully. "You see Rey, the reason I said that is because I know this person… or at least I used to, and it's quite difficult for me to bring up those memories again. It would be like what our dear friend Mal suffered through, except I fear mine might be the very death of me.

"Rey, what I'm trying to say is… All you need to know about this girl is that she is far away and will not be able to reach us here if you don't let her. The only person who knows more than I about her is Kylo Ren. If you are really that curious about her, seek him out."

Luke stops them in front of the containment sector.

"If you can convince my sister and the other members of the Council to keep Kylo alive, we may actually have a chance at defeating the First Order. I want you to see if you can gain his trust, Rey. He has an unusual compassion towards you that I think you can use."

"Really?" Rey laughs. "The man has tried to kill me three times now. If that's his way of showing compassion then that's news to me."

Luke looks down the hallway. It's lined with a variety of doors. "Or it's a man who's trying to fight that compassion."

Rey follows his eyes down the hall. She could feel the pull in the Force again.

"He's in the very last door to the left," Luke murmurs, and then disappears back the way they came.

I'm the last person he's going to want to see, Rey thinks, walking slowly down the hall.

Perhaps she had been a little offended that Kylo had tried so hard to kill her. Maybe she had expected a little more compassion, given the state her visions had come. Of course she couldn't let herself feel the least bit disappointed. He was her enemy after all. She had spent her whole year of training thinking about killing him. In fact she was sure that once they got the information they needed from Kylo, that Leia would let her be the one to kill him. Though talking to Leia about Kylo had brought feelings of love and fear in Leia's force aura. Maybe Leia didn't want him to die either. He was her son after all.

Rey slows to a stop in front of the small window peering into Kylo's cell. Rey folds her arms across her chest and looks inside. Kylo lies on metal table, his body strapped to it in multiple places. His eyes are closed, and his head is turned towards her, revealing the deep red scar she had given him. There's a bandage around his thigh where Mal had shot him.

This was chance for Rey to see at least some of the damage Snoke and his minions had put on him. He was noticeably smaller – muscle wise. His face was a lot more sunken in, leaving the bones in his face to stick out at more dramatic angles. And the dark circles under his eyes revealed many a sleepless night. And yet he would still fight for them, after everything that had done to him.

His body suddenly jolts and he screams, causing Rey to jump slightly. His body strains against the restraints and the lights in the room begin to flicker violently. His eyes are still closed, like he was dreaming. Then in an instant, the screaming stops and he slumps against the table, his head lolling to the side. There are still flashes of pain that flicker across his features every once and a while.

"He's been doing that ever since we brought him in," someone says behind her.

Rey snaps around to face Poe, his arms crossed casually behind his back.

"You're not torturing him?" Rey asks, surprised.

Poe shakes his head. "No. He hasn't woken up since you brought him. We thought someone might have snuck in and put an electric charge in the table or something. But there's nothing. It's all in his mind."

Rey tries to stop herself from feeling pity for him.

"I guess the First Order really messed him up," Rey comments quietly, watching his sleeping form.

Poe hums his agreement. "Let's hope none of us will ever have to experience that."

Rey looks down at her feet, contemplating her next move. She makes the decision before she can even think about it.

"Hey Poe, I'm going to go in there. Cover me?" Rey states, less like a question and more of an order.

Before he can advise her against it, she opens the door and walks inside the small cell. The door clicks shut behind her and she feels her breath catch in her throat. What was she doing? If Luke was right and they had a connection, then she could use it to read his mind.

She ventures slowly over to him, until she's standing right above him. Then hesitantly, she reaches out a shaky hand and places a palm on his face. As soon as the skin makes contact, she's sucked into his twisted mind.

She's in a dark room. There's a man in a dark hood that sits in a throne-like chair. Two red guards stand beside him and Kylo is crouched at its feet, his body slumped over and weak.

"You have disappointed me, Master of the Knights of Ren," the sickly voice of a man echoes in the dark space.

"Supreme Leader Snoke," comes a weak response from Kylo. "Please, forgive me, next time I will do better."

"Next time?" the hooded creature shouts, standing up suddenly, the hood falling off his head. It's a ghost of a man. His face is twisted and mangled in frightening ways.

Kylo flinches, curling himself up a little more.

"Even now you block her from me. You protect her from my prying mind," Snoke growls.

Kylo's body is shaking. "My Lord, I don't know why -"

He is quickly cut off. "You have failed me, Kylo Ren. You have forced me to turn to another."

Kylo's head snaps up. "No, please. Supreme Leader forgive me!"

"My apprentice will take care of you now," he orders darkly, his hand outstretched to the side.

Another cloaked figure emerges from the darkness. Rey feels a strange coldness begin to take over her body. Even though she could not see the apprentice's face, she could feel its eyes on her.

Kylo begins to shake violently, cringing away from the cloaked being. "No, please, no."

"It seems you have brought a guest," a sickly sweet voice emerges from behind the cloak.

Kylo's head snaps in Rey's direction. Snoke does the same, a smile spreading across his face.

"Don't be shy, child. Come into the light," Snoke coos, reaching out a bony hand towards her.

Rey's heart is pounding. She's frozen and can't move. The hooded apprentice begins to walk towards her, a red lightsaber igniting at her side.

"Rey what are you doing here?" Kylo shouts, his eyes wide and full of fear. "Get out of here! Run!"

The apprentice begins sprinting towards her.

"Rey get out of my mind!" Kylo screams.

And suddenly Rey is back in the small cell, stumbling backwards. She's breathing heavily and sweat is dripping down her temples. Kylo's eyes are now open and staring at her in horror.

"What have you done?" he whispers, pushing his wrists against the restraints.

Rey slowly backs up toward the door behind her, her entire body shaking.

"What have you done?" he shouts abruptly at her, struggling violently against the restraints.

Poe suddenly runs in and grabs Rey. He has a metal rod in his hand and he shoves it quickly into Kylo's side. He screams as an electric shock travels through his body, making him convulse unnaturally.

Poe drags Rey hastily out of the room.

"Now what the hell was that?" Poe exclaims, his hands on his hips.

Rey shakes her head. "I'm sorry, I didn't know. I wanted to see what he was dreaming. I'm sorry."

"You can do that?"

"Yes," Rey slows her breathing. "We have a connection in the Force. I can sometimes read his mind."

Poe shakes his head and laughs. "Gee I learn more and more every day. So what did you see?"

Rey hesitates for a moment. She can still feel the cold deep in her bones from the hooded apprentice. Maybe that was the girl that Hux had been talking about. The voice was feminine, even though Rey couldn't see the face. Whoever it was, Kylo had been terrified of her. He had been more scared than she had ever seen him before.

"He was just… ," Rey starts, lost in thought.

Poe raises his hands. "It's ok, I don't need to know."

"I should probably go check with General Organa to see about my sleeping quarters," Rey sighs, feeling a need to get as far away from Kylo as possible.

"Of course!" Poe chimes.

"Thanks for stepping in," Rey says, giving Poe a small hug.

He nods. "Anytime. It won't be too much longer until we won't have to worry about that anymore."

"Yeah," Rey laughs, but there's something inside her that doesn't agree.

Rey begins to walk quickly down the hall, her mind buzzing over everything she had just seen. Something told her that Kylo wasn't the one they needed to worry about now. Like Luke had said, times ahead were getting dark. And whoever this apprentice was, was not good news for anybody. Maybe Kylo was the answer to the destruction of the First Order. Not only could they use him for information, but if they were to turn him back to the light, he could be a key player in destroying Snoke and his new apprentice.

No, the thought suddenly snaps in her brain.

Kylo wouldn't turn to the light that easily. He wouldn't turn to the light at all. He was as dark and twisted as Snoke.

But he had protected you from Snoke, remember?

Rey angrily tried to shove her arguing thoughts into silence as she approached General Organa and the others. She was given her rooming assignment and without a word walked straight to her quarters, trying not to think about anything.

Rey opens the door quickly, making Mal jump to a start.

"Geez, you scared the shit out of me!" Mal gasps, shoving clothes into a nearby drawer.

The room was small. It contained a bunk bed, two dressers, and a small bathroom and refresher to the side. The top bunk looked like it had already been claimed by Mal.

Mal follows Rey's gaze to the top bunk. "I took the top, I hope that's ok. I've always slept better farther from the ground."

Rey snaps back to attention. "Oh, yeah, sure. That's fine I don't care."

Mal stares at her quizzically for a moment. "Are you ok? Your eyes kind of have this crazy wild look in them and it's kinda freaking me out."

Rey forces herself to relax. "Yeah I'm fine, sorry. I just saw Kylo."

Rey throws her small bag onto her bed and begins pulling out the few other pieces of clothing she had.

"That psychopath?" Mal jokes, climbing up onto her bed. "I guess I'd have crazy eyes too then."

"Why aren't you bunking with Cassian? I thought you two were… "

"Ha!" Mal laughs loudly. "Sleeping together? Yeah well according to General Organa, the _officers_ have to sleep in the _officers_ wing, and the _coders_ have to sleep in the _coders_ wing."

"Well I'm not a coder," Rey mumbles, getting up and putting her shirts in one of the drawers.

"Yeah well you're not anything right now except a 'jedi in training' and I wouldn't agree to bunk with anyone else except you, so."

Rey smiles to herself. "I suppose you're right."

"Don't worry, when Cassian and I are getting frisky in here I'll put a sock on the door to give you a heads up."

Rey wrinkles her nose. "A sock?"

"Yeah," Mal giggles. "It's the universal sign for 'do not disturb, fucking in process'."

Rey laughs at the sound of that. And they both laugh together for most of the night. Rey hadn't really had a friend like Mal before, but she could tell she was going to like her.

Rey falls asleep with a smile on her face, temporarily forgetting about the dangers and worries that will swarm her when she awakens.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter should be up in a couple days!


	6. Ch. 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. Now that classes are back in session I'll probably only be able to update on weekends. Enjoy!

Rey does a handstand in the small creek outside of the compound. She finds her balance easily, feeling the cool current run past her wrists and hands. She feels the vibrations of the Force all around her, and of course the annoying pull of Kylo Ren. Ever since she had invaded his dreams several days earlier, he had been prying at her mind, trying to get her to come talk to him. But he was the last person she wanted to talk to. Her thoughts surrounding him were so confusing and painful that she just simply couldn't see him. She needed to figure out herself before she worried about what happened to him

"Very good," Luke murmurs as she subconsciously stacks the rocks next to her.

Rey focuses herself to think about all the happy times in her life, like when she met Finn. She thought about her nights with Mal. Mal spent almost all day every day locked in a room with computers decoding transmissions and messages from the First Order. Cassian spent time with Finn and Poe, helping train new recruits. This meant that some nights Rey had to sit outside in the trees, listening to the breeze whistle through the branches, waiting for the sock to graciously leave the door. Rey didn't mind it. Mal was always in a better mood after Cassian came anyways. Sometimes he'd even hang around after and play with Mal's hair as they talked aimlessly into the night. Then of course they'd have to sneak him back into his quarters without alerting the night guards. It mostly lead to giggling and then screaming and running when the guards caught them. They were adults and everything was so serious all the time, so Rey liked acting silly with Mal. She had never laughed so happily before.

"Your pull to the light is so strong," Luke hums, snapping Rey back to reality.

Rey began to feel the slow ache in her arms from standing on them for so long. She opens her eyes and stands back onto her feet, feeling the blood rush back into the rest of her body. The rocks stay perfectly stacked next to her.

"You're getting better and better every time. I feel like I'm almost out of things to train you," Luke laughs, sitting on a nearby rock, his bare feet hanging in the water.

Rey chuckles. "You've only been training me for a year, old man."

Luke nods. "Yes, but you forget Yoda trained me for less than a week."

Rey takes a deep breath and closes her eyes, taking in the warm, humid environment around her. She had spent her whole life on Jakku with nothing but sun and sand.

"I think I could stay here for a long time," Rey murmurs to herself.

"You know Kylo's trial is tomorrow," Luke changes the subject, his tone of voice deceivingly light. "If he doesn't give them any information they will probably execute him."

"Good," Rey snaps, before she feels the dread begin to set in her stomach.

"You can try and deny what you feel, Rey, but it won't work. He showed you something he didn't want you to see, and now you can't stop thinking about it," Luke directs, absently stacking pebbles beside him with the Force.

She whips around suddenly, watching him. "How do you know that?"

"I talked to him yesterday," he says absentmindedly, focusing on the pebbles.

She stares at him for a moment. "Wait… you talked to him? And he was willing?"

"I wouldn't use 'willing' to describe it. He was strapped to his chair and I told him if he wanted to live he would need to give us information."

Rey scoffs. "And what did he say to that?"

"No, of course," Luke chuckles. "However when I mentioned you, his eyes seemed to lighten up a bit."

Rey cocks an eyebrow. "I don't believe you."

"Oh it's true. He's had compassion for you since he first met you."

Her denial fuels her anger. "You really are just a crazy old man trying to get me to save his life. Why? Is it because you still feel guilty for how his life turned out? That you weren't good enough to train him away from the Dark Side?"

Luke's smile fades and he drops the pebbles in his hands. "I lost Kylo before he even came to train with me. But you're right. I am just a crazy old man, full of regret, waiting to die alone…"

"I'm sorry, Master, I shouldn't have said that," Rey apologizes quickly, walking over to sit beside Luke.

"None of what you said isn't true. Listen, Rey, I know you want to deny it, but Kylo is the only one who can help us defeat the First Order. He's past listening to me. You're the only one who can really convince him," he pleads softly.

Rey picks up a pebble and throws it into the water. "And what if I can't convince him?"

Luke's smile returns. "We shall discuss that if we get there."

Rey picks up another pebble and is about to throw it when suddenly she can't breathe. A strong force tightens around her throat, crushing her windpipe. Her hands fly to her throat, gasping suddenly. Luke's arms are around her in a second, shaking her.

"Rey? Rey! What's wrong?" he shouts frantically.

There's a sharp pain in her gut and she folds over instantly. What was going on? There was screaming in her ears. Men were screaming terrible things.

_Kylo!  
_

_Rey!_

The choking stops and she jumps to her feet suddenly, throwing Luke back.

"It's Kylo," she gasps. "Someone is trying to kill him!"

She pulls on her boots hastily and then sprints down to the compound as fast as she can.

_Kylo! I'm coming! Keep fighting!_

She tries to encourage him through their connection. Rey can't feel every time he gets hit, but she knows when it happens. The other people in the compound stare at her as she tears through the hallways like a maniac.

She slams into Mal on her way there. It slows her but she doesn't stop.

"Rey? What the hell?" Mal shouts after her.

"It's Kylo!" Rey screams behind her, before turning the corner to head down to the containment sector.

Her vision is going fuzzy around the edges. Her breathing has stopped again. She pushes her legs faster, knowing she was so close.

Turning the corner to the hallway, she sees two men standing outside the door. When they spot her they begin shouting, warning whoever it was inside Kylo's cell.

"Hey!" Rey screams, shoving her hand forward, sending a Force push to send the men flying into the nearby wall.

Rey makes it quickly to the door, shoving it open violently. Kylo is unstrapped and on the floor. A man is on top of him, his hands around Kylo's throat. Another man stands beside them, a gun in his hand. The man and Kylo look over at her at the sound of the door. The other man aims his gun as if he's about to shoot her.

Rey uses the Force to grab him by the throat, raising him off the ground, and then throwing him against the cement wall. His necks cracks at the impact. Rey turns quickly to the other man, who has jumped off Kylo and has attempted to grab her. His body slams against hers, sending them backwards onto the floor. His hands are wildly trying to grab her but she easily throws him off her. In a matter of seconds, Rey finds her saber on her belt, and whips it out, ignitining the blade and slashing it across the man's chest. She jumps to her feet, aiming her saber as if to strike again, but the man is motionless on the ground. His eyes are wide and lifeless.

There's a deafening silence in the small cell. Rey tries to get her breathing to slow down, her grip on the saber becoming looser and looser. What had she done? Her mind had just gone blank. There was no thinking, just _anger._ She can feel herself begin to panic.

She drops the lightsaber on the ground, the light retracting instantly.

"Rey," Kylo states firmly.

She turns slowly to look at him. He's slumped against the wall, blood dripping down his forehead.

"Tell them it was me," he orders, his eyes fiery. "Tell them I killed those men."

"Cameras," she breathes, still in shock.

There's shouting and suddenly the room is flooded with people. Officers run over and grab Kylo, restraining him again. Mal runs to Rey's side, spotting the saber on the floor.

"What happened?" General Organa gasps.

Mal picks up Rey's lightsaber. "Rey?"

"They tried to kill me," Kylo insists. "Rey came to help me but I had already killed them before she came."

No one says anything for a long time. It was obvious to everyone it was a lie, but no one wanted to speak the truth aloud. Rey's eyes meet Kylo's. There's question in them as he stares at her, but also a knowledge of something more.

"Well get these bodies out of here," Leia orders with a wave of her hand. "We'll discuss this matter somewhere else."

"Come on, Rey," Mal grabs her arm, pulling her out of the cell. Her eyes don't leave Kylo's until they can't see each other anymore.

"Two guards will be posted outside his room on a twenty-four hour watch," Leia orders as they make their way down the hall.

Rey feels sick as she walks down the hall. She can feel eyes on her as they walk briskly down the hallway. Luke stands solemnly at the end of the hall, and Rey can't even lift her eyes and look at him. She can already feel the disappointment in his aura.

Mal grabs Rey's arm and pulls her to a stop in front of Luke. Rey still can't meet his eyes.

"Rey and I will speak alone," Luke states softly.

Rey can feel Mal linger, hesitating to leave her alone.

"Will you be ok, Rey?" Mal asks, squeezing her arm gently.

Rey nods quickly, worried that if she opened her mouth to speak she would throw up. Mal's grip on her arm is gone, leaving a cold spot. The footsteps grow softer as she walks farther and farther away.

"I'll get Chewie," Rey can hear Mal tell the other guards as she leaves. "He'll protect Kylo with his life."

"Rey," Luke finally speaks. Rey hesitantly looks up and meets his eyes. They are warm, but full of worry.

"Master, I don't know what came over me, I'm sorry," she blurts suddenly, feeling the tears swell in her eyes.

Luke does something suddenly unexpected, and pulls her into a tight hug. It's strange at first, because it's the last thing Rey expected Luke to do. He wasn't the sort to provide physical comfort to those who were struggling.

"Uhm," Rey chokes out, going ridged against his embrace.

"Rey, you must listen to me very carefully," he whispers in her ear, his arms still tight around her body. "This is my fault. I'm sorry, I should have prepared you better for a situation like this. I did not realize how strong your connection was. It's ok."

She feels her body relax in his arms as the tears silently spill over. He pulls back, keeping a hand on each shoulder.

"Rey, when one is training in the force, finding the balance between dark and light is extremely difficult," he teaches, his eyes never leaving hers.

"I killed those men," she whispered in horror, feeling more tears spill down her cheeks.

Luke sighs and closes his eyes. "Rey, it took the Jedi years to master the light of the force. Things like this can happen. You were protecting yourself and Kylo."

Rey wipes the tears quickly from her face. "I must tell Leia that I was the one who killed those men."

He chuckles softly at this. "Don't worry, Leia already knows. I'm sure they will have a triall for you but I doubt you would be condemned."

Rey spots Mal, Chewie, and Cassian striding quickly down the hallway. She watches them approach.

"I brought the Calvary," Mal jokes as she strides up, her arms crossing over her chest.

"Thank you, Mal," Luke chimes.

"No one is getting through those doors unless we approve," Mal boasts, a wicked smile on her face.

"Oh, so you don't want to kill him anymore?" Rey teases, a smile breaking out on her own face.

"Ha!" Mal shouts. "You know we're also there to keep him contained. I'm crossing my fingers he'll step out of line."

Chewie doesn't like the comment and Cassian laughs quietly to himself. Rey shoots Cassian a confused look.

"He's really good at reading lips," Mal answers Rey's question before she can ask it. "When you lose one of the five senses the others get stronger. And besides, I talk a lot so he learned to keep up."

Mal shoots him a look and he raises an eyebrow.

"Well, I am going to take my leave. Rey, I expect you to join me shortly," Luke says nonchalantly before brushing past them down the hall.

"Everything ok?" Mal asks once he's gone, genuine concern in her voice.

Rey sighs, grabbing her arms as if she was cold. "Yeah. I'm actually going to go talk to him, if you want to guard the door."

Mal raises an eyebrow. "You want to talk to him? After what just happened?"

"I want to know how the guys managed to attack him. I want to know the details," Rey argued defiantly.

Chewie is glad that she wants to talk to him. He too wants to make sure Kylo was okay. So the four of them ventured back down the hall. The two guards eye them suspiciously as they approach.

"We're taking over from here, General Organa's orders," Mal proclaims, snatching one of the guards guns and pushing him out of the way.

The other guard takes one look at Chewie and willingly hands him the gun. Cassian reaches out and touches Rey's arm before she can reach the door. He gives her a look of warning, but she gives him a confident nod before walking into the cell.

Upon her entry Kylo immediately snaps to her attention. He's back on his chair, strapped down. They stare at each other for a long moment before she finally speaks.

"Are you ok?" she announced, her voice a little too loud for the small and quiet room.

He laughs, a little too harshly. "Am I ok? You're asking me if I'm ok?"

She frowns in anger. "Yes I'm asking you if you're ok, those men tried to kill you."

He leans his head back on his chair, his eyes still locked with hers. "They would have killed me if you hadn't come to save me."

"Don't take it personally. I only did it because Luke thinks I can convince you to give us information on the First Order," she lied, shoving her chin up a little bit.

He snickered. "Did he now? And what makes him think you can convince me?"

"I don't know, he believes we have a connection."

"Hmm," Kylo hums, twisting his wrists in his straps. "I'm fine. I'll have bruises where they hit me and probably some bruising around the neck, but nothing major. They drugged me… put something in my food."

"Well that won't happen again," she informs him, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Did you tell them it was me?"

She glares at him for a moment before her face softens. "No. I told them the truth. I'll have a trial in a day or so to determine my punishment."

His eyebrows raise in surprise. "Punishment? Are they going to lock you up like me?"

"No," she states firmly. "I'm not a monster like you."

"Ah, there it is," he smiles. "I'd thought you might have softened up a bit."

"I guess that makes two of us. I'm surprised you're not still trying to kill me," she remarks coldly.

He twists his wrists in his restraints harder. "Well I determined that's not my top priority at the moment."

"Then what is?" she urges mockingly.

He sighs in frustration when the straps don't loosen from his wrists. "You think I'm the worst one you have to worry about. You don't know anything."

"The Apprentice. The one I saw in your dream. Is that who you're talking about?"

He gives her a hard, cold stare. "You had no business intruding on my dreams."

"But that wasn't a dream was it? It was a memory," she objects, taking a step closer to him.

He flinches automatically at her movement. "If you would have just agreed to train with me none of this would have had to happen."

"What? What would happen?" she presses, watching the discomfort spread across his features.

"You were supposed to be dead. You weren't supposed to exist. Now she knows, and she'll never stop hunting you until your dead," Kylo growls through clenched teeth.

"Who? The Apprentice? The one in the hood?"

"You can't invade in my memories!" he shouts suddenly, hitting his head against the back of his chair. "She can enter my dreams just like you, and she'll use me to find you."

Rey feels fear sweep through her insides. That same cold feeling she felt in his dream returns. She can't tell if it's what she's feeling or what he is.

"Why?" Rey stammers quietly.

He breathes heavily, closing his eyes to concentrate. "Her name is Kyra. She was Snoke's original apprentice before he exiled her to Korriban. Snoke wants you, I don't know why. Because I failed to bring you in, he's assigned her the task."

Rey straightens herself. "I'm not afraid of her."

His eyes fill with terror. "You should be."

"Why did he exile her?" she pushes, more firmly this time.

He winces as if there was a pain in his head. "I don't want to talk about this anymore. Tell Leia they can kill me. I won't say anything."

"Kylo!" Rey shouts furiously. "If what you say about this 'Kyra' is true, then I'm going to need your help to defeat her!"

"You can't!" he shouts back at her, cutting her off. "That's the whole point! She's the fucking granddaughter of Emperor Palpatine. No one can defeat her! That's why I don't have to kill you! Because she will!"

There's a silence that fills the small room. She feels her own horror set deep in her bones. She remembers the dream, and the hooded apprentice walking towards her to kill her.

"Does Luke know this?" she stammers.

He stares at her, a hint of sympathy spreading in his eyes. "Of course he does. She was one of his first students. He trained her as a child."

Rey turns around, not wanting Kylo to see her face. It didn't matter though, she could feel him searching her emotions through their connection.

"That's why he won't talk about her," she whispers shakily.

"Snoke kidnapped her as a child. Luke could never forgive himself for letting her go. He was a fool to ever think he could keep the granddaughter of a Sith Lord away from darkness."

Rey suddenly pushes Kylo out of her mind and pries into his, searching his own feelings.

"You're afraid of her," she murmurs, turning around to face him. "And you hate her."

He narrows his eyes. "Reading my thoughts won't do you any good."

"You wanted to be Snoke's apprentice. You wanted to prove to him that you were as powerful as Darth Vader, but she took your place."

She hesitates as she pries further into his mind. Tears begin to well up in his own eyes.

"She's the one that tortured you," Rey hesitated, question in her tone. "You were on Korriban with her. That's where you disappeared to. She tortured you and you called out to me to save you from her, not from Snoke."

"That's enough!" he snaps, a single tear streaking down his cheek. Their connection is immediately cut off.

"Kylo," she pleads softly. "Killing you right now would be a waste. If you hate her this much, then help us defeat her. If you really want to die, then we will give you the death you want. Just help us. Help me."

She watches his jaw clench and unclench at the idea.

"I know you don't like being locked up in cell. If you're willing to give us information on Kyra and the First Order, then I'm sure I can work out a deal with the Council."

"I'll think about it," he huffs after a few moments.

"What ties do you have with the First Order? To Snoke? You won't help us because you're still loyal to them? They were going to kill you!" Rey exclaims, exacerbated.

"They weren't the first to abandon me. Your precious General Organa and Han Solo did that years ago. I'll never help them," he snarls.

"Then don't help them. Help me. I came back for you. Doesn't that count as something?" she blurts.

Why was she being so persistent on him helping her? She hated him… remember?

"I thought you said I was a monster."

"You are," she insists, but there's a lightness to her voice. "But perhaps even a monster like you deserves a second chance."

He sighs. "Come back tomorrow. If we're going to do this I need to figure out a strategy. It won't be easy."

"Fine," Rey pronounced. "I'll be back tomorrow."

She turns on her heel and is about to leave when he speaks up.

"She's seen you in my dreams, Rey," he warns her. "Be careful in your own dreams and meditations. When she finds you again… run."

Rey swallows then pushes out the door, feeling sick again as she realizes Kylo may not be her real enemy anymore.


	7. Ch. 7

Rey sits quietly, staring into the bright lights that shine down above her. She sits on a hard metal chair in the middle of the small interrogation room. There's a plate of glass in front of her and she can't see through it, but she knows there are others on the other side, watching her.

"You are one, Rey from Jakku?" a male voice says over a speaker.

"Yes," she says calmly, feeling Kylo's anxiety through the door behind her.

_Will you calm down?_ She growls at him through the force.

There's twinge of defiance as his response.

"At eighteen hundred hours, two men attacked a prisoner and in your attempt to save him you killed them. Is that correct?" the voice continues.

"Yes. It was self-defense."

"There was no other way to defend the prisoner besides death to them both? One would argue that there are many means of stopping an attacker that doesn't involve murder."

Rey bites the inside of her lip, but she doesn't lose confidence. "Of course there are other ways, but those men came at me to kill me, and I acted on instinct."

"It's your instinct to kill?"

Rey shrugs. "Should it not be? When someone comes at you with a knife, meaning to slash your throat, do you simply knock it out of his hand and hope he doesn't try another way to kill you?"

There's a silence for a moment and Rey feels a weird tingling sensation creep up her body. The words that had come out of her mouth hadn't sounded like something she would say. Though she felt her words rang true… to some degree.

"I grew up alone on Jakku. You either learned how to kill or everyone else would kill you. Nobody left their victims alive. Those men who went after Kylo, had the intent of killing. When someone is about to kill, a darkness surrounds them and all I could see was black. For me, it was either kill, or be killed. There was no other way."

There's another long, deafening silence, and Rey thinks perhaps Leia was wrong, and that they were going to condemn her. But after the few moments had pasted, the voice spoke again.

"The council has come to an agreement. We are sad to lose those men, but they broke one of the most severe laws. Rey acted in self-defense. She is declared 'not-guilty' for the crime of murder."

The door opens behind her and she stands up, wiping her sweaty palms on her pants. Two guards walk in, not making eye contact with her as she walks out. Kylo stands just outside the door, wearing a straight jacket. Several armed guards stand around him, ready to shoot on any sign of movement.

Rey gives him a hard look. "I'm glad you decided to be reasonable."

He gives her an equally hard stare. "What if they still decide to execute me?"

"Then you'll get the death you always wanted."

His eyes twitch at the remark.

"Give them everything they want and they'll let you live," she adds flatly, before turning away from him and walking towards the door that led to the audience of the interrogation room.

She opens the door, and the people seated turn to stare at her. Some of them have fear in their eyes. Mal, Cassian, Finn, and Poe, however, do not. They smile widely at her entrance.

"I liked the whole 'my instinct is to kill' part," Mal chimes.

"Rey, I didn't know you could be so dark," Finn mutters as she sits down next to him.

She slumps down into the chair. "It wasn't intentional. Sometimes things just come out."

Kylo enters the room, along with the several armed guards. They don't leave his side. He has a smirk stained on his face and it irritates Rey.

_What? I can't have a little fun with this?_ He pokes at her when he feels her annoyance.

_You could at least try and look like you care. This is serious._

_Well, you need me more than I need you. So even I'm found guilty and sentenced to death, you'd swoop in to save me._

Rey clenches her fist, letting her fingernails dig into her skin. _I see your attitude runs in the family._

This causes a flicker of rage to light within him. The smirk twitches with anger, but he gracefully holds his façade.

A voice rings out over the speakers, the same one that interrogated Rey. "Are you one Ben Solo, alias Kylo Ren?"

"Yes," Kylo states lamely, his eyes flickering around the room, taking in his surroundings.

The man clears his throat. "Kylo Ren, you have been found guilty for the destruction of the Hosnian system, the gross violations of the rights put in place by the Republic, including the massacre of millions of civilians, the torture of prisoners, and not to mention the cold-blooded murder of Han Solo."

There's a pause, and the man continues. "Of course the list could go on but that would take us weeks to cover. Do you oppose any of these accusations made against you?"

Kylo sighs, a little too dramatically. "Well, if you want to get technical, I didn't actually aid in the destruction of the Hosnian system. I just watched."

There's an irritated murmur in the audience.

"Can we just kill him already?" Mal whispers. "He could give two shits about all the lives he's taken."

Rey ignores her comment, concentrating on Ren. She pushes him lightly through the force.

"Very well," the voice states. "As you are probably aware, the consequences of these crimes are punishable by death, and the Council has decided in much argument and discussion that you are to be executed in time for these heinous crimes."

Ren stiffens in his chair, his smirk falling quickly into a hard, emotionless face. Rey sends him calming thoughts, reassuring her confidence.

"However," the man clears his throat again, obviously displeased. "There are some here who believe you are most advantageous to our long term cause. They have come to agree on the following proposition: tell us everything you know about the First Order. It's resources, strategy, weapon installations, locations, major bases, and anything else you may have of value to share. I mean everything down to what material Hux uses for his uniforms. _Everything._ "

"They're going to let him live," Finn whispers in shock next to Rey.

She touches his arm to calm him, but she can already dread the conversation they will have later when he finds out it was Rey's idea.

"You will tell us everything, in exchange for your life," the voice finishes, leaving the crowd in an approar.

Rey is the only one who stays sitting quietly, unaffected by the sudden announcement.

"You can't be serious!" Mal shouts, standing up in a rage. Cassian stands with her, grabbing her arm tightly.

Several guards come into the audience stands, forcing everyone to quiet down. Rey looks over and notices Poe staring at her. He knew too. It's a look of sympathy. Finn finally calms down and Poe lovingly pats his shoulder.

"They have no idea," Finn exclaims softly, shaking his head. "They have no idea the things that monster has done."

Rey looks down at her lap, trying to remember that what she was doing was the right thing. She had to remind herself that tragically, there was someone much worse out there.

"Upon agreement," the voice continues, still irritation laced with his words, "you will be injected with a tracker chip with a max range of one mile from the base walls. Any other movement will be pre-approved by one of the council members, and you will be accompanied by an assigned party at all times. Any breach of these guidelines will release a neurotoxin into the bloodstream that will have you dead in seconds. Your only purpose at this base is to assist Council members in the destruction of the First Order, and any information pertaining to that. You will be constrained to only a few selected areas of the compound. Other than that, you are restricted to your personal quarters, where you will stay with two armed guards outside your door at all times. Step out of line once, and this proposition will be revoked."

Kylo sits quietly in the room, and the audience is silent. Rey can feel his emotions swirling, though his face stays emotionless.

_Make the right decision. Please._

"This of course is a life sentence, and will continue until your death."

Rey sits up slowly in her chair, her fingers locking together in worry. She can feel his heavy contemplation, his fear, his anger, his defiance. Her stomach is twisting in knots.

She wants her enemy to live.

"So I have the choice to die a martyr or to live the rest of my life as a traitor?" he finally speaks, letting his cool façade snake back into his features.

"That is correct," the voice states flatly.

Kylo's eyes flicker to Rey's. He could see her through the glass, and he could see her desperation. His eyes don't leave hers for a second.

"Traitor it is then," he snorts, the smirk popping back up on his face. "Let's talk First Order."

Rey is relieved. She relaxes into her seat, letting the air she had been holding in to rush out.

"Man, I can't believe this," Mal spits, standing up. "I'm out of here."

Cassian gets up with her and follows her out. Several others follow them.

Finn sighs, shaking his head. "The only reason I'm staying is because I'm actually almost interested in the dirt he's got."

"I just want to know where he's hid his Upsilon-class command shuttle so I can go steal it. Star, that's one hell-of-a beauty," Poe chimes lightly.

Rey chuckles softly at his comment, grateful at his attempt to lighten the mood.

"Of course you'd be the only one to care about his damn ship," Finn jokes.

After the room has mostly cleared out, Rey turns her attention back to Kylo. He's begun talking. He speaks for hours about Hux, possibly to the point of nausea. The man on the speaker has to redirect him several times, informing him that making a list of all the times Hux annoyed him wasn't necessary information.

After about four hours, Kylo's voice begins to go hoarse, and they decide to reconvene in the morning.

"I never thought he'd agree to this," Finn remarks as they make their way out of the auditorium.

"You'd be surprised what people would do if given the right incentive," Rey responds.

"Yeah, but we didn't even have to torture him for the information. He just gave it up like that."

Rey stops just outside the doors. "Well I think all the strict rules he's been placed under will be torture enough."

"You coming to lunch?" Poe asks, changing the topic quickly.

"In a second," Rey nods, "I just want to make sure they get Kylo back to his cell without any problems."

They go their separate ways and Rey follows Kylo's pull in the Force to find him. He's walking back down to his cell with the guards all surrounding him. She catches up to them and stops them before they reach his door.

"I told you they wouldn't kill you," she boasted.

He scoffs. "Well you did have me there for a second. They have a flare for the dramatic I think."

Rey rolls her eyes. "Look who's talking."

A droid from the med bay rolls up, a syringe with the tracker on a tray in its hands. Rey grabs it and wiggles it lightly in the air.

"Luckily your one-mile parameter includes our training facility," she announced.

She reaches up and places one hand on the side of his neck. An electric shock seems to jolt through her at the touch of her skin on his. Her other hand reaches up and inject the syringe into his neck. She doesn't fail to notice that Kylo feels the same jolt of electricity, and _likes_ it.

"There," she clears her throat, stepping away from him.

He watches her intently with his liquid chocolate eyes. His eyes on her makes her blush, and she feels uncomfortable under his gaze. She preferred it much more when he was glaring at her.

"Some guards will bring you lunch. You get an hour, and then we start training," she announces, trying to flush the blush out of her cheeks. "I'm done with him, you can put him in his cell."

She turns on her heel briskly before he can say anything. She doesn't want to hear his voice, because she's afraid of the way he's suddenly made her feel. The look in his eyes was a deep admiration, and a sort of awe. Rey didn't understand why he suddenly became so compassionate toward her. His justice would come swift, however. Her lunch hour couldn't go by faster. All she wanted to do was kick his ass, just a few times.

Rey joins her friends in the mess hall. They had claimed their table, always saving a spot for her. She grabs a tray and joins them, sliding in next to Cassian. Finn and Poe sit on the other side.

"Rey, I had this brilliant idea while you were gone," Mal pipes in. "I'm sure with the right pieces of technology hidden in this compound I could build a device that mimics the one set to trigger Kylo's tracker. We could set it off and then everyone would see it as an accident."

"That would be murder," Cassian signs, a frown on his face.

"I'm with Cassian," Poe agrees. "He said it would be murder."

"Poe, you can sign?" Rey asks, trying to change the subject.

Poe shrugs. "I found a Sign Language book in Cassian's apartment and I read it one day when I was bored."

"I think for the first time I agree with the Blood Runner," Finn turns the conversation back to killing Kylo.

Mal sneers, making a face at Finn. "I'm so glad to have your support, Stormtrooper."

"We aren't going to kill Kylo," Rey snaps suddenly, causing the table's attention to turn to her. "In fact I'm glad he's alive. You know why? Because it was my idea to keep him alive in the first place."

Everyone is staring at her, silent.

"We need Kylo Ren alive. More importantly, I need Kylo Ren alive. He has more valuable insights than just the information on the First Order. He's going to train me, starting now. I'd tell you why but none of you seem to have the audacity to care. I don't deny the fact that he is a bad man who has done plenty of bad things. But we're at _war._ And if we want to win this, we're going to need all the help we can get."

Rey stands suddenly, feeling the anger swell inside her. "I know what I'm doing. Kylo is not our worst enemy. We need to be ready for that."

The food on her plate is tragically uneaten, and she can feel her stomach grumble. It's takes her concentration away for a moment.

"Sorry," Mal mutters, more insulted than anything.

Rey sits back down and they start eating again, in silence.

"He's hurt a lot of us," Poe comments quietly between bites. "That's why everyone wants him dead."

"I know," Rey sighs, rubbing her forehead. "But he's told me things… things that I fear are true. And maybe you can just forget for one second that he's done those terrible things, because he's willing to help us. He's willing to help me."

"But why would you need his help?" Mal comments, not looking over at Rey.

Rey stares at her for a moment. "You have access to the Republic records. See if you can find anything on someone named Kyra."

Finn chokes on his food. This stops everyone from eating again, and Rey feels like this might become a common occurrence whenever new information is brought to the table.

"Kyra? He told you about Kyra?" Finn chokes.

"He mentioned her… why?" Rey asks, confused by his reaction.

"She's probably the most feared Dark Lord in the galaxy. Of course everyone thought she was a myth, but when you work sanitation you hear all the gossip. No one talks about her because if you do, you get cursed. She was once Snoke's apprentice, but then she became too powerful, even for him, so he exiled her on some abandoned planet. Apparently Snoke sends her prisoners of the First Order as treats. Officers and Commanders would just disappear and that's where we think they were sent."

Rey looks at him quizzically.

"If she's the 'most feared Dark Lord in the galaxy' why has no one heard of her?" Mal countered, twirling her fork in between her fingers.

"Well because of the curse of course!" Finn exclaims, laughing. "But that's all just gossip. She's not real."

"Kylo seems to believe she is," Rey snaps, feeling suddenly defensive.

"Yeah and Kylo would do anything to survive," Finn rebuttals.

"This is interesting to me," Mal assures, "if she does exist. I'll find out."

"I think we should take this seriously, Finn," Rey insists.

Finn leans toward her and squints his eyes at her. "Rey, she's not real. You don't have anyone to be afraid of except for Snoke. He's what's real."

Rey swallows a chunk of brown mush. She tries to shut the image of the hooded apprentice out of her mind. Maybe it was just a dream, not a memory.

But at the same moment the cold chills shiver through her body, and she has a sick feeling she's wrong.


End file.
